Quick answer:Food Service Managers in Tennessee earn a median $64,410 per year, below the national median of $69,390 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The state employs about 4,550 of them. Licensing runs through your local health department and state food safety authority.
Restaurant and Food Service Management Pay and Employment in Tennessee at a Glance
Metric
Tennessee
National
Source
Median annual wage
$64,410
$69,390
BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$43,080
$45,960
BLS OEWS, May 2025
25th percentile
$57,200
$56,870
BLS OEWS, May 2025
75th percentile
$80,060
$86,800
BLS OEWS, May 2025
90th percentile
$101,150
$107,640
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment
4,550
238,430
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location quotient
0.91
1.00
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)
not published by state
6.4%
BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34
How Tennessee Pay Compares to the Rest of the Country
The Tennessee median of $64,410 sits below the national median of $69,390 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 0.91 puts Tennessee slightly below the national average, so the occupation is a little less common here than in the typical state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Food service management tracks restaurant density, tourism and hospitality activity, so it is one of the most evenly distributed occupations on the site.
No license is required to manage a restaurant. The regulatory piece is food safety: a food protection manager certification, commonly ServSafe from the National Restaurant Association, with the specific requirement set by local health departments rather than nationally. On the academic side ACPHA accredits hospitality administration programs, though employer recognition and demonstrated operating results carry more weight here than programmatic accreditation.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with your local health department and state food safety authority that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Earning the Degree While You Work
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 1 school
within 196 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
1 of them carries a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
How much do food service managers make in Tennessee?
The median annual wage for food service managers in Tennessee is $64,410, below the national median of $69,390 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $57,200 at the 25th percentile to $80,060 at the 75th.
How many food service managers work in Tennessee?
Tennessee holds about 4,550 food service manager jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 238,430, and BLS projects about 42,000 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Do I need a license to work as a food service manager in Tennessee?
No license is required to manage a restaurant. The regulatory piece is food safety: a food protection manager certification, commonly ServSafe from the National Restaurant Association, with the specific requirement set by local health departments rather than nationally. On the academic side ACPHA accredits hospitality administration programs, though employer recognition and demonstrated operating results carry more weight here than programmatic accreditation. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with your local health department and state food safety authority before you enroll in any program.
Can I earn a associate or bachelor's in hospitality or restaurant management online while working in Tennessee?
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies your local health department and state food safety authority.
What is the highest-paying area of Tennessee for food service managers?
Among Tennessee metro areas with published data, Nashville reports the highest median at $69,860 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is Tennessee a good state for food service managers?
On pay, the state median of $64,410 sits below the national $69,390 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 0.91 means the occupation is less concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Food Service Managers (SOC 11-9051), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
